Amusement device



Oct. 10, 1939. c. H. PERRY 2,115,971

AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 18, 1937 Elma/rmZ/YELESHB'EEY Oct. 10, 1939. c. H. PERRY 2,175,971

AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Nov. 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10,1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to amusement devices or toys and moreespecially to those of the class embodying a plurality of elementsarranged to be set in motion or displaced by the '5 passage of balls orother freely moving objects.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedamusement device of this class wherein the movable elements bearrepresentations of horses or other animals or ob- 10 jects and in whichthe elements are so mounted and arranged as tobe set in motion by theballs so that they will rock to and fro, the representations of thehorses or other objects thereon being thus caused to move in a mannersimulating 18 galloping horses or similar objects in motion.

Another object is to provide an amusement device of this class whereinthe movable elements are arranged in a plurality of adjacent verticalrows so that the balls, when released, may pass from one vertical row toanother during their descent.

Another object is to provide means for collecting the balls in a row inthe order in which they traverse the rows of movable elements.

25 A further object of the invention is to provide novel and improvedmeans for simultaneously starting all of the balls, and novel andimproved means for automatically loading the balls into the startingmeans.

30 To these and other ends, the invention consists in certainimprovements and combinations and arrangements of parts all as will behereinafter more fully described, the features of novelty being pointedout more particularly in the claims 35 at the end of this specification,

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, of an amusement deviceembodying the present invention;

40 Figure 2 is a vertical section of an upper corner of the device,showing the manner in which the balls are automatically loaded into thestarting means;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken 45 on the line 3 -3 inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is avview similar to Fig. 2 but showing the manner in which theballs are simultaneously discharged from the starting means;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing 50 the manner in whichthe balls traverse the rotatable elements; 1

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the lower discharge portion of thedevice showing-the manner in which the balls, after traversing themovable 55 elements, are discharged into a collecting trough;

Figure '7 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the loadingdevice for the starting means;

Figure 8 is a detail vertical section through a portion of the deviceand through one of the movableelements and i 5 Figure 9 is a verticalsection taken on the line 9---9 in Fig, 8.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in thedifferent figures.

The present invention provides an amusement 10 device which may be usedfor the diversion or amusement of various persons, and by providing themovable elements of the device with representations of differentobjects, the device, when in operation, will give a visual simulation ofvarious activities. For example, by placing on the movable elementsrepresentations of horses, the device, when in operation, will give avisual simulation of horses in a race or other contest.

The device, as shown in the present instance, comprises a shallowvertical case I which may rest by its legs 2 upon a table or othersuitable support, the sides of the case being preferably connected by'across member 3 which closes the top thereof and by a cross member 4which closes the bottom thereof, the rear side ofthe case being closedby a back 5, and the front of the case may either be left open or it maybe covered by a transparent cover 6 of glass, Celluloid or othersuitable transparent material.

Withinthe case and supported on the back 5 thereof are mounted aplurality of primary and secondary rows of movable elements 1, theelements of the alternate primary vertical rows being in horizontalalignment across the width of the case, and the elements of theintervening secondary rows being in horizontal alignment across thewidth of the case but staggered in relation to the adjacent rows ofelements. A series of deflecting pins l4 are also preferably mounted atthe inner 40 sides of the side members of the case in horizontalalignment with the elements of the intervening rows. Each of theelements 'l is. composed of a rotor comprising a hub 8 mounted to rotatevery freely, as by ball bearings 9supported on shafts I0, the latterbeing fixed in the back 5 of the case. Circular flanges II are fixed tothe ends of the hub 8 to rotate therewith, and vanes orpartitions l2extend outwardlyfrom the ,hub between the flanges and in suitably spacedrelation circumferentially thereof to provide compartments. in eachrotor to receivea ball. One side of each rotor is weighted in a suitablemanner, as by forming one of thevanes thicker or heavier than the othervanes, as indicated atWIZ so that the compartment in the rotor at theside of the hub opposite to this heavier vane will normally occupyuppermost position to receive a ball, although the rotor will be free torock to and fro, after being set in motion by a ball, the heavier vaneI2 acting as a pendulum. The side of the hub 8 opposite to the heaviervane I2 is preferably formed with an upstanding rib 8 which extendsparallel to the axis of the hub and in aposition midway between theadjacent vanes I2, so that when a ball comes into engagement with thisrib, the ball will be compelled to move by gravity toward one or theother of the adjacent vanes l2, the weight of the ball causing it to acton the vane which it engages to rock the rotor in one or the otherdirection against the action of the relatively heavy vane I2 until theball is discharged from the rotor, whereupon the rotor will rock freelyto and fro under the pendulum efiect of the Vane I2 Immediately abovethe vertical rows of rotors is mounted a starting member I5 which servesto start all of the balls simultaneously to traverse the rotors. Thisstarting member, as shown in the present instance, comprises a bar whichis supported by pivots I6 between the side members of the case so thatthis bar may rotate, and the bar is provided with tapered holes orreceptacles I! which are somewhat smaller than the diameter of the ballsI8 so that the balls when introduced into these holes or sockets willrest therein. A lever I9 having a weight 20' thereon is fixed to one ofthe pivot pins l6 which latter is fixed to the bar I5, this weightedlever being normally held in its lowered position as shown in Fig. 1 sothat the wider ends of the openings I! in the bar I 5 will be uppermostto receive the balls, and the weighted lever, when manually swungupwardly, reverses or inverts the bar I5 and thereby discharges theballs simultaneously from the openings or sockets I1, the weightedlever, after the discharge of the balls, serving to automatically returnthe bar |5 to its upright position to be again loaded with balls.

The present invention provides means for automatically loading the ballsinto the bar or starting member I5. The loading means as shown comprisesa trough 2| which extends into the case from one side and across thewidth of the case above the bar I5, it being mounted in an inclinedposition so that it slopes downwardly toward its inner end, and thetrough, which may be conveniently formed of sheet metal, is suitablyfixed in the case, as by lugs 22 which may be secured to the undersideof the trough and fastened to the inner sides of the side members of thecase. The bottom of the trough 2| is provided with a series of openings23 which correspond in number with the number of ball receiving openingsor receptacles I! in the bar l5, and these openings 23 are locateddirectly above the respective openings so that a ball dropping throughany of the openings 23 will enter the corresponding opening I in the barI5. A freely movable switch 24 is provided for each of the openings 23,each switch comprising a pair of blades 25 and 26 which are insubstantially right angular relation and may be formed by bending alength of sheet metal, the blades being fixed at their junction to apivot pin 21 which is pivoted in the opposite side walls of the troughand is provided with a lever or handle 28 the outer end of which carriesa ball or other weight 29. The lever 28 extends at such an angle inrelation to the blades 25 and 26 that, when the blade 26 is swungupwardly so that its edge engages the underside of the trough to closethe respective opening therein, the weight 29 will tend to hold theswitch in such position, although permitting the switch to rock, whenthe weight of a ball is imposed upon the blade 26, to permit the ball topass through the opening 23 in the bottom of the trough and the blade 25to swing downwardly so that its edge rests upon the bottom of the troughand closes the opening 23 therein, and the weight of the ball 29 on thelever 28 will act to retain the switch in the latter position.

The rotors may bear on the front flanges II thereof representations ofdifferent objects the motions of which are to be simulated visually bythe rocking movements imparted to the rotors by the balls as theydescend the rows of rotors, the rotors in the present instance beingshown provided with representations 30 of horses as in a race so thatthe rocking movements of the rotors will impart movements to therepresentations of the horses to simulate galloping thereof. The balls,after traversing the rotors, are received, in the order in which theycomplete the traversing of the rotors, in a trough 3| which is mountedin an inclined position beneath the lower ends of the vertical rows ofrotors, the lower end of this collecting trough extending through a sideof the case and being closed by the end wall 32, thus providing a spaceexteriorly of the case in which the balls are collected in a row in theorder in which they complete the traversing of the trough, and fromwhich they may be removed for replacement in the loading trough 2 Theoperation of the device constructed as hereinbefore described is asfollows: The weighted levers 28 are all swung toward the left, as shownin Fig. 1, to swing the blades 26 of the switches into positions toclose the openings 23 in the bottom of the loading trough 2|, the blades25 of the switches then projecting upwardly in the trough. The balls l8,of a number corresponding to the number of ball receiving openings I! inthe bar I5 are then placed in the end of the trough 2| which projectsbeyond the side of the case, and this row of balls, when released, willroll by gravity into the case and toward the lower end of the inclinedtrough 2 I. The foremost ball in the row, upon reaching the blade 26 atthe left hand end of the row of switches, will depress this blade, bythe weight of the ball, causing the blade 26 to swing downwardly and theball to descend through the opening 23 and into the hole or pocket I!immediately below it in the bar I 5, the latter then occupying theposition shown in Fig. 1, and the blade 25 of this switch will be swungdownwardly into a position to cover or close this opening 23 in thetrough, the swinging of the switch into this position being assisted bythe weighted lever 28, and the blade 25 being supported in this positionby its engagement with the upper side of the bottom of the trough. Sincethe foremost ball in the row introduced into the trough 2| thus causesthe first switch in the series to close the opening 23 in said trough,the second ball in the row descending the trough 2| will pass over theblade 25 of the closed switch and will engage the blade 26 of the nextswitch, allowing this ball to drop through the respective opening 23 inthe trough into the opening I! immediately beneath it in the bar I5 andcausing the corresponding switch to close the respective opening 23 inthe trough, Fig. 2, showing the first two switches in such closedpositions. This operation will be repeated, the balls in the row passingsuccessively through the openings 23 in the trough and closing therespective switches until all of the balls introduced into the trough 2!have been loaded in the holes or pockets I! in the bar I5, after whichthe switches may all be reset with the blades 26 swung upwardly againstthe bottom of the trough, as shown in Fig. 1, preparatory to the nextloading of the bar l5.

After the bar l5 has thus been loaded with balls, this bar is inverted,by swinging the weighted lever or handle l9 upwardly, thereby dumpingall of the balls from this bar simultaneously into the pocketed rotorsof the primary rows, as shown in Fig. 4. The balls will drop onto theribs 8 of the uppermost rotors, shown in Fig. 4 and the weight of theballs, which are composed of steel or other relatively heavy material,will engage one or the other of the vanes of these rotors and therebycause them to rock, in one direction or the other against the action ofthe weighted vane 12*, until the balls are discharged from these rotors.As the balls are discharged from the uppermost rotors, they enter otherrotors below them, as for example, the rotors in adjacent rows asindicated in Fig. 5, the balls discharging from the outer sides of therotors in the outermost rows striking the pins [4 which serve to returnthem to the rotors, and the transfer of the balls between the upper andlower rotors as the balls descend, continues until the balls reach thecollecting trough 3| at the bottom, the balls then rolling to the lowerend of the collecting trough which is exposed at the outer side of thecase where the balls may be removed and replaced in the trough 2!. Asthe balls descend, they set the rotors successively into rocking motion,the rotors being relatively light in weight, they being composed forexample of aluminum so that they may be easily set in motion by therelatively heavy balls, and the rocking motions thus imparted to therotors imparts corresponding rocking motion to the representations ofthe horses or other objects thereon which are visible at the front ofthe casing, so that the representations on the rotors will visuallysimulate the movements of such objects as for example the galloping ofhorses. Interest in the device may be increased by employingdistinguishing colors or numbers on the balls to that the order in whichthe balls collect in the trough 3| will indicate the order in which theballs traverse the rotors and trough, it being noted that although allof the balls start simultaneously to traverse the rotors they will notall complete the traversing thereof in the same time since some of theballs may be diverted through several vertical rows of the rotors beforereaching the collecting trough. Although the rotors will continue tooscillate or rock to and fro while the balls are descending through therotors, they will eventually come to rest, due to the weighted vanesthereof, so that the rotors will be automatically restored to positionsto receive the balls upon the next operation.

I claim as my invention:

1. An amusement device comprising a plurality of primary vertical rowsand adjacent intervening secondary vertical rows of movably mountedpocketed elements bearing representations of 'ani-- mate objects andhaving means for normally holding them in predetermined position, theelements of the primary rows being in horizontal alinement and theelements of the secondary 1 rows being in horizontal alinement andstaggered relatively to the elements of the primary rows,

a plurality of relatively distinguishable objects adapted to traverseand actuate said elements, means for simultaneously supplying theplurality of actuating objects respectively to the primary rows ofelements to traverse the elements in the primary and secondary rows andimpart movements thereto and traversable means for receiving saidobjects in the order in which they complete the traversing of saidelements and for collecting said objects in a row in the order in whichthey complete the traversing of said receiving means.

2. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the upermostelements of the respective rows, and a trough extending longitudinallyabove said member for feeding the actuating objects and having means fordirecting them successively into the respective receptacles.

3. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermostelements of the respective rows, means for normally holding said memberin its object receiving position, and means for feeding a series of theactuating objects and having devices controlled by the successiveobjects in the series for directing them into the respective receptaclesin said member.

4. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to individually receive the actuating objects, said memberbeing mounted for inversion to simultaneously discharge the objects intothe uppermost elements of the respective rows and means extendinglongitudinally above said member for feeding a series of the actuatingobjects and having devices controlled by successive objects in theseriesfor automatically supplying said objects to the respective individualreceptacles in said member.

5. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermostelements of the respective rows and means for automatically supplyingobjects to the recep' tacles in said member comprising a trough alongwhich the objects are adapted to travel and having openings thereinabove the receptacles in said member for the passage of the objectsthereto, and switches for said openings operating to cause the objectstravelling along the trough to respectively pass through the openingstherein.

6. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermostelements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough alongwhich the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein atintervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in saidmember, and switches for said openings each operative to admit an objectto the respective opening and to close said opening and direct the nextfollowing object in the trough to the next opening therein.

7. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermostelements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough alongwhich the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein atintervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in saidmember, and switches for said openings each comprising a pair ofangularly-related blades pivoted to the trough, one blade being adaptedto extend across the respective opening when the switch is swung intoone position and to be deflected by an object to swing the switch intoanother position to bring its other blade into a position to extendacross said opening.

8. In or for an amusement device having a plurality of vertical rows ofmovably mounted pocketed elements, means for simultaneously supplying aplurality of actuating objects respectively to said rows of elementsembodying a member extending across the tops of the rows of elements andhaving receptacles therein located directly above the respective rows ofelements to receive the actuating objects, said member being mounted forinversion to simultaneously discharge the objects into the uppermostelements of the respective rows comprising an inclined trough alongwhich the objects are adapted to travel and having openings therein atintervals in its length and directly above the receptacles in saidmember, and switches for said openings each comprising a pair ofangularly-related blades pivoted to the trough, one blade being adaptedto extend across the respective opening when the switch is swung intoone position and to be deflected by an object to swing the switch intoanother position to bring its other blade into a position to extendacross said opening and means for yieldingly holding each switch in oneor the other of its said positions.

CHARLES H. PERRY.

